Vegetable-topping machine.



PATENTED JAN. 28, 1908.

W. R. SHUFELT.

VEGETABLE TOPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.12, 1. 307.

-z SHEETS-SHEET 1.

amuenfoz PATENTED. JAN. 2 8, 1908.

, W. R. SHUPELT. VEGETABLE TOPPING MACHINE APPLIGATION FILED APR-12. 1907.

2 SHBETSSHEET 2.

anvanfo'c 25 tion on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

U'NrrED STATES PATENT ost ich.

WIL IAM R. SHUFELT, or N-IVERVILLE, NEW YORK.-

- VEGETABLE-TOPPING MACHINE;

the tops from onions and other vegetables,

and has for its object to provide a machine of this kind .which is simple in construction and can be easily operated.

A further object of the invention is to provide an im rovcd cutting mechanism, and

means for feeding the onions to the cutter with their tops properly presented thereto.

The feeding mechanism is also so constructed that it will reject stones or other foreign matter liable to injure the cutter.

In the accompanying drawing, Figurel is a perspective view of the machine. Fig. 2 is a top plan view with the feed hopper and trough removed. Fig. 3 is a transverse sec- Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 44 of Fig. 2. i The supporting frame of the machine comprises side pieces 5 and 6, end pieces 7 and 8/, and legs 9.- The frame is inclined by making 3 its legs at one endshorter than the legs at the other end. To the side pieces, inside the X frame are secured brackets 10 and 11, respectively.v In the end piece 7 (which is at the highestfl or upper end of the frame) and the i end piece 8, 1s, ournaled a shaft 12having outside the end piece 7 an internalgear 13 I provided with a crank 14 by means of which theinachine may be manually operated.

Adjacent the shaft 12 and arrangedparallel thereto is a feed roller 15 which's wound spirally with two strands of wire 16 throughout its entire length with theexception of a short ortion at the lower end. .Arran ed paralle to the roller 1.5 is'a second feed roller 17 which is smooth throughout its entire length except a short portion at its lower end WlllCh has'a spiral 18 formed in the same manner as the spiral 16, and located directly opposite the smooth portion of the roller 15.

he gudgeon 19'of t in abearing block 20 secured tot-he racket ,11. r The other gudgeon 21 of said roller is supported on'the end piece 7 and outside the latterisfittedwith pinions 22 and 23, the former meshing with the ear 13. .The bearingsof-the rol r 15 are lxed whereas those Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 12.1907. fierial No. 367.785.

e roller 15 is supported Patented Jam28, 1908b.

of the roller 17 are made yielding for a' pun pose to-be hereinafter described.

Ontop of the end piece 7 and the bracket 10 are blocks 2. L which are connected at one end by a flexible strip 25, and through the side piece 6 is threaded a screw 26 which bears on said strip. The gudgeons 27 and 28 of the roller 17 are supported on top of the end piece 7 and the bracket 10 and are engaged by the blocks 24, the oiiter ends thereof being made concave to fit the gudgeons. On the end piece 7 is a cap 29 which extends over the gudgeons 21 and 27. The gudg eon 27 extends beyond the end piece 7 and outside cording to the size of the onions by movingthe screw 26 in or out which carries the roller 17 toward or from the roller 1.5. If a stone or other hard substance gets between the rollers, the roller 17 will be pushed away from the roller 15 as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2 so that the stone can drop down from between the rollers, and at the same time the gears 23 and 30 are thrown out of mesh and the feed stops. This arran ement prevents the stone from being fed to t 1e cutting mechanism and injuring the same. The cutting mechanism comprises a revolving cylinder 31 armed with three spiral knives 32 which work in contact with an inclined stationary cutting blade 33.. The cylinder is mounted on the shaft 12 between the bracket 11 and the end piece 3. The

knives 32 project a short distance from the ing the free ends of arms36'which are pivoted on a rod 37 extending between and secured to the bracket '10 and the end piece 8. The upperend of the cross-bar 35 is cut away to ermit the blade-33 to come close to the ower end of the roller 17. The blade ,33 is held in contact with the knives 32 by gravity. The periphery of the cylinder 31, between the knives 32 is cam shaped, its radius being smallest 'ust back of the knives. The ob- 1 I'll.

ject of t is arrangement is to permit the 7 O the latter is fitted with a gear wheel 30 mesh v without cutting or suitable receptacle p onion tops to get under the blade 33 after which the onion is raised out of the way of the knives 32 and the tops are then cut off bruising the onion. Above the feed rollers and 17 are arranged sloping boards 38 which form a trough for keeping the onions on the rollers. This trough is continued over the cutting mechanism and to the lower end of the ma- .chine from which the topped onions are discharged into a suitable receptacle The trough-board above the blade 33 is secured to the cross-bar35. The onions arefed to the machine from a chute or hopper 39 arranged at the upper end thereof and discharging into the trough. The tops after they are cut oil droi) to the floor or into a acecl under the cutting inder armed with spiral knives, the periphery of the cylinder being cam-shaped, its radius being smallest back of the knives, and a stationary cutting blade in contact with the knives.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM R. SHUFELT. Witnesses: JASPER A. SMITH, ESTELLA SHUFE T.

ting mechanism comprising a revoluble cyl- 

